Restoring Beauty to St. Mary's Chapel

Weather has taken a toll on what was once majestic beauty, a beacon of faith that soothed generations of faithful for more than a century.
Beneath the sun-induced wrinkles and-rain-pelted blotches, her elegance remains, crying for a dab of makeup and perhaps even a hint of gloss.

St. Mary’s Chapel stands proudly on River Road in Union, shuttered but with the voices and images of 150 years of memories etched in her charming interior. The chapel, originally built in 1875, continues to hold a special place for those who grew up attending Mass in the church that calls the Sunshine Bridge in Donaldsonville its neighbor.

Recognizing the wear and tear and wanting to preserve history, a fledgling but rapidly growing nonprofit organization is attempting to restore the matriarch to its original gentility. The Friends of St. Mary’s Chapel has been established to raise funds for restoration of the church and is appealing to those who have a history, or whose ancestors had a history, at the chapel.

“The church was at the center of the community and, in a sense, we are all doing the same thing, trying to come back and rescue her,” said Fran Fleniken, whose family history can be traced to the original builder, Louis Chauvin. “We have the vision to put her back to the way she was. That is how important she is.

“Just the architecture of this church is such a gem.”

Although originally shuttered in 1998, St. Mary’s, which throughout its lengthy history was a mission to St. Michael Church in Convent, has proudly hosted several celebrations, including the wedding of Friends of St. Mary’s Chapel Spencer Chauvin in 2009.  Fleniken’s younger sister’s wedding was celebrated there  several years frigid, February day, with no heat in the chapel.

‘It was the coldest day ever,” Fleniken recalled with a laugh. “We all had blankets.”

In 2016, Fleniken’s daughter was married at St. Mary’s, telling her mom she was “not getting married anywhere else.” One year, later Fleniken’s mother, a long-time organist at the chapel, was buried at the church she so dearly loved.

Its doors have since remained locked, hoarding more than a century of memories from the outside world.

Chauvin, who is also a relative of Louis Chauvin, says for many, including those in the small, industry heavy community, the church “means everything to them.”

He joined the St. Michael Parish Council in 2010 to be an advocate for St. Mary’s because “she didn’t really have much representation.”

“And so then we have been trying to figure out ways to repair the church but the reality is unless you have parishioners that give money things don’t happen,” Chauvin said.

St. Michael pastor Father Vincent Dufresne, himself a River Parish native, suggested forming a nonprofit that would serve as a fundraising arm and take financial responsibility for the church but with ownership remaining with the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Some recurring revenue is generated through sugar cane rent and a Mississippi River batture lease, which is enough to cover fixed expenses but leaves no room for capital improvements.

“We have to raise funds through various different means other than weekly Mass collections, such as fairs and concerts,” Chauvin said.

A little more than two months ago, Friends of St. Mary’s Chapel was launched, and Chauvin told Father Dufresne his desire to reach out to the public for support. Through a series of conversations, Bishop Michael G. Duca said St. Mary’s could be used for “possible weddings, possible funerals, possible baptisms, possible (occasion) first Friday Mass and concerts if done in a canonical sense, like Christmas music.”

Just as Friends of St. Mary’s was launching, local resident Carmel Veron started a social media group called Union/Central/Romeville/Convent, featuring historical photos from the area. The group rapidly expanded to more than 600 members and the response to St. Mary’s has been overwhelming.

“One thing I have learned is (the church) matters as much to everybody else as much as she matters to me,” Fleniken said. “It made my heart so happy when I saw the response. We learned a lot more people had connections here than I thought.”

Chauvin said many of the descendants of relatives who attended Mass at  St. Mary’s live in the surrounding areas are the people the group is targeting.

“They had ancestors who were buried, baptized or married here,” Chauvin said. “Some even attended Mass there. Those are the people who would be willing to help more than others who do not have a connection, although we see evidence of people who have no connection to the church but have shown interest.”

The list of repairs is lengthy, starting with a new roof, checking in at an estimated $200,000. Windows must be replaced, carpeting ripped up and hopefully the original wood floors restored, HVAC repaired or replaced among other upgrades.

Chauvin said he is putting together an estimated cost for all of the repairs to be presented at an open house at St. Mary’s, which is scheduled Aug. 1 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

“It’s hard for people to make decisions if they don’t know what it will cost,” Chauvin said. “I am literally pricing everything as if we are doing a 100 percent upgrade, that way as we make decisions, we are making an educated decision.”

Chauvin said one goal is to have the chapel placed on the National Register of Historic Places. He noted the structure is timber Gothic Revival, which is rare. Earlier this year, St. Mary’s was placed on the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation Most Endangered List.

Fleniken said Father Dufresne is “very supportive” of the group’s efforts.

“He can guide us in the right direction, which is very valuable.”

“I was always trying to figure out ways to save St. Mary’s. I am going to do what I can do,” she added.

Anyone wishing to donate to the renovation of St. Mary’s Chapel can visit

http://www.saintmarychapel.org/home/

www.facebook.com/papevert/

The public is invited to the open house Aug. 1.